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Winter Soldier
' Bucky' is the name of several fictional characters that were masked superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. Decades later, the original Bucky was brought back from supposed death as the Winter Soldier in 2005 and then he becomes Captain America in 2008after Steve Rogers was presumed to be dead, before returning as the Winter Soldier once more. Fictional character biography Origin and World War II James Barnes (named after James Buchanan, the 15th President of the United States), was born in Shelbyville, Indiana in 1925.[8] He is an orphan, the son of a soldier killed in training at U.S. Army Camp Lehigh in Virginia just before the United States' entry into World War II. As a result, he is unofficially adopted by the camp as a mascot. Nicknamed "Bucky," he takes to wearing a uniform and becoming savvy with the ins and outs of military life, even though he is a teenager. It was at Lehigh that he meets and befriends Private Steven Rogers, who by all appearances is the clumsiest soldier in the camp. This was at the same time that reports of the then-mysterious Captain America begin to appear in news magazines, and Barnes eagerly devours the accounts of this new hero. In 1940, Bucky accidentally walked in on Rogers changing into his uniform, thus discovering his friend was Captain America and insisted that he join him. He underwent extensive training and was assigned to be Captain America's partner. The military justified putting a 15-year-old in harm's way by using him as a symbol to rally the youth of America (as revealed in Captain America vol. 5, #12, Dec 2005). They fight the Red Skull together, and Captain America accepts Bucky as his partner.[9] Together, Captain America and Bucky fight Nazis both at home and abroad, as a duo and as part of the superhero team known as the Invaders, fighting Master Man in their first mission.[10] Barnes also teams up with the sidekicks of other heroes in a group called the Young Allies. Additionally, Bucky was retconned in 1976 as the organizer of the flashback World War II super-team the Liberty Legion, set between the formations of the Invaders and the post-war All-Winners Squad. He was also briefly one of the Kid Commandos at this time. Bucky served as an advance scout for Captain America and the Invaders, often being assigned tasks that none of the heroes could be seen doing. In the closing days of World War II in 1945, Captain America and Bucky tried to stop the villainous Baron Zemo from destroying an experimental drone plane. Zemo launches the plane with an armed explosive device on it, with Rogers and Barnes in hot pursuit. They reach the plane just before it takes off. Bucky unsuccessfully tries to defuse the bomb, and it explodes in mid-air before reaching its intended target. He will be believed to have been killed in action, as Rogers is hurled into the freezing waters of the North Atlantic.[11]Rogers' body, preserved in suspended animation in a block of ice, is found decades later by The Avengers when the Grandmaster was defeated.[12] It was only in modern times that Captain America would learn that Bucky had a sister, Rebecca, whom he met at a veterans Christmas celebration.[13] Bucky also had one notable post-mortem appearance when the Grandmaster challenged the West and East Coast Avengers for the destruction of the universe, apparently resurrecting long-dead friends and foes for them to fight. Captain America battled Bucky, whom he defeated, and the apparitions disappeared.[14] Winter Soldier After the plane explodes, General Vasily Karpov and the crew of a Russian patrol submarine find Bucky's cold-preserved body, minus one arm. Bucky is revived in Moscow, but suffers brain damage with amnesia as a result of the explosion. Scientists attach a bionic arm, upgrading it as technology improves. Programmed to be a Soviet assassin for Department X, under the code name the Winter Soldier, he is sent on covert wetworksmissions, i.e., missions involving assassination, becoming increasingly ruthless and efficient as he kills in the name of the state. While a Soviet agent, he also has a brief relationship with The Black Widow. The Winter Soldier is kept in a cryogenic stasis when not on missions, and as a result has aged only a few years to a young adult since the closing days of World War II. In 1968, the Winter Soldier was sent to kill Professor Zhang Chin, whom he had met in World War II. Unfortunately, he was pinned down by an intangible being called The Man with No Face, though he was able to escape.[15] On assignment in the United States in the 1970s, he suffers a breakdown and goes missing for days after assassinating his target.[volume & issue needed] It has also been revealed that as the Winter Soldier he aided in Wolverine's escape from the Weapon X laboratory and later murdered Wolverine's wife Itsu, seemingly killing their unborn son Daken who survived the attack after being cut from his mother's womb.[16] In the present day, the Winter Soldier seemingly kills the Red Skull and Jack Monroe (Nomad) under orders from former Soviet generalAleksander Lukin (Karpov's former protégé). The Soldier launches a terrorist attack on Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, killing hundreds, and charges the Cosmic Cube which Lukin sent him to retrieve. He kidnaps Sharon Carter, an agent of the international espionage agencyS.H.I.E.L.D. and a former lover of Steve Rogers (Captain America). Upon her rescue, Carter tells Captain America the Soldier looked like Bucky. S.H.I.E.L.D. chief Nick Fury confirms the Winter Soldier's existence, but cannot ascertain his identity. Captain America tracks down and confronts the Winter Soldier. Upon gaining control of the Cube, he tells the Soldier, "Remember who you are". Regaining his memories, Bucky becomes overwhelmed by guilt over his past actions, crushing the Cosmic Cube and teleporting away.[17] He reappears shortly afterward in London, England, where he helps Captain America fend off a terrorist attack. He asks Nick Fury for employment and new equipment following the loss of his bionic arm.[18] Following the events of the superhuman Civil War, the Soldier helps Fury plan the escape of an arrested Steve Rogers. Before the plan can be implemented, however, Rogers is assassinated.[19] Considering registration architect Tony Stark (Iron Man) as ultimately responsible, the Soldier plans to kill Stark in revenge. Deducing that Stark will oversee the appointment of a new Captain America, the Soldier steals Captain America's shield from S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Black Widow so that it cannot be handed down.[20] Ultimately, he heads to Kronas's headquarters, where Lukin reveals he is the Red Skull and has the evil psychiatrist Dr. Faustus attempt unsuccessfully to brainwash the Winter Soldier.[21] The new Captain America After escaping from Faustus and being captured by S.H.I.E.L.D., Barnes learns from Executive Director Tony Stark that Steve Rogers had left Stark a letter asking Stark to watch over Barnes and that the mantle of Captain America should continue.[22] Stark suggests that Barnes become the new Captain America. Barnes agrees to become the new Captain America only if Stark guarantees him complete autonomy.[23] As this arrangement is illegal under the Superhuman Registration Act, Stark keeps his support of the new Captain America secret. As Captain America, Barnes wears a new costume laced with adamantium, and carries a pistol and a combat knife.[24]Barnes' first major adventure as the new Captain America has him, Falcon, Carter and S.H.I.E.L.D. fighting against the original Red Skull and Dr. Faustus who have revived the 1950s Captain America in a plot to secure one of their pawns attaining the U.S. presidency. Barnes and his allies succeed in aborting the Skull's plans, and Barnes saves the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates from assassination, winning public applause. The adventure ends with Barnes accepting himself and addressing himself now as "Captain America".[25] He also restarts his relationship with Black Widow.[26] A still-teenaged Barnes is transported from 1941 and appears in the 2008 Avengers/Invaders miniseries alongside his fellow Invaders when a time travel incident takes them from a World War II battlefield to the present-day Marvel Universe, where they encounter both theMighty Avengers and New Avengers. At the conclusion of Avengers/Invaders #4, while attempting to break out of the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, which he believes to be a German base, Barnes encounters his future self dressed as Captain America.[27] During this meeting, the future Barnes attempts to change his history by telling his past self to abandon the missile that he was 'killed' trying to disarm, without ever telling his younger self his true identity.[28] Barnes decides to let his life turn out the way it should after witnessing the devastating risks involved in changing history.[29] During the "Secret Invasion" storyline, after most of the other heroes have fallen as the Skrull invasion of Earth continues, Captain America is seen watching Thor defend a group of civilians in Central Park.[30] Later, after a brief confrontation with Thor, he joins the other group of heroes (the Mighty Avengers, the New Avengers, the Initiative, the Thunderbolts, Nick Fury and his Secret Warriors, Young Avengers, and the Hood's group) in battle against an army of Super-Skrulls led by Queen Veranke herself.[31] Following the "Secret Invasion" storyline, Barnes discovers that the remains of Jim Hammond, the original Human Torch, has been recovered and studied by the United Nations. The body was stolen by Professor Zhang Chin who used the Torch to create a virus to exterminate half the Earth's population. Teaming up with Namor, they stop Chin and make sure that Hammond receives a proper burial.[32] In the aftermath of "Secret Invasion", Barnes joins the New Avengers and offers his home as a base of operations. He later participates in the search for Luke Cage and Jessica Jones' child, Danielle.[33] He was considered a possible team leader but turned it down because he did not have the proper team experience.[34] In the Captain America: Reborn storyline, Barnes finds out from Sharon that she did not really kill Steve. As explained by Doctor Zola to Norman Osborn, Rogers was trapped in a fixed position of time and space. But since Sharon ruined the machine that was supposed to bring him back, Steve was reliving his own past. Barnes and Black Widow attempt to steal the device from H.A.M.M.E.R. but are captured. Osborn sends the Black Widow back to Sharon with an ultimatum: either she turns herself in, as Osborn had implicated her as Rogers' second shooter, or he'll kill Barnes. Barnes was then sent into the custody of the Thunderbolts who told him that he'll be inducted into their group once Rogers is brought back. However, Barnes is secretly freed by Ant-Man and then rescued by the Falcon.[35] Barnes then teams up with Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff, the Falcon, Hank Pym, and the Vision to save Sharon. The group intercepts the Red Skull's ship beside the Lincoln Memorial and attacks. The Red Skull has already taken over Steve's body, and Barnes attacks him. The two battle while Hank saves Sharon and the others battle Crossbones and a squad of M.O.D.O.K.S.. Sin shoots Barnes in the shoulders, giving the Skull the opportunity to take Barnes' shield. He pins Barnes to the ground and cuts off his cybernetic arm with the shield. However, inside Steve's body, Steve prepares to kill the Red Skull to keep him from doing any more evil in his body. The Skull's consciousness leaves Steve's body and returns to his robotic body. Hank and Sharon manage to cause the Skull's body to enlarge in size, and after Steve (who has taken control of his body) leads an attack, Vision uses the Skull's ship's weapons to destroy the Skull.[volume & issue needed] Leading up to the "Siege" storyline, Bucky Barnes is shown still as Captain America talking with Steve Rogers, who is in a dark body suit and standing next to him.[36] In Invincible Iron Man #21 Rogers is back in costume and seen alongside Barnes who is still in his own Captain America costume. The two are helping restore Tony Stark's mind by using the shield as a conduit for Thor's lightning.[37] In the second issue of Siege, Barnes teams up with Steve Rogers in Steve's team of heroes. Barnes (still in his Captain America suit) pulls Rogers aside just before they are about to leave for Asgard. Barnes tells Rogers that they should "skip the argument" and insists that Rogers use the shield. Rogers takes the shield, and Barnes is shown with a large gun in his hands, ready for the fight ahead.[38][39] In the following issue, Barnes is shown fighting alongside Rogers with both wearing their respective Captain America uniforms in Asgard.[40] After the events of Siege, Rogers returns the shield to Barnes and retires his uniform, leaving Barnes as the only Captain America.[41] Barnes is a member of the main Avengers team formed in the aftermath of the "Siege" storyline.[42] Barnes was then put on trial for the crimes he committed as the Winter Soldier.[43] He was found not guilty in an American court, but Russian officials took him away, having convicted him of crimes against the state and claiming that he had gone rogue and killed two civilians. But as Sharon Carter and Black Widow discover, Barnes' victims were connected to Russia's Department X's Red Room division.[44] He escaped imprisonment with help from Black Widow and returned to the USA, however it was decided he was too tainted by events to be allowed to continue as Captain America.[45] Fear Itself and return as Winter Soldier During the Fear Itself storyline, Barnes takes up the Captain America identity again, but is apparently killed in battle with Sin (in her Skadi form).[46] He survives because he had been injected with the Infinity Formula. With the world believing him dead he returned to his former identity of Winter Soldier to perform special jobs behind the scenes relating to his earlier days as the Winter Soldier. Only Rogers, Nick Fury, and Black Widow know the truth of his "death."[47] Bucky and Natasha then pursue sleeper agents trained by Bucky during his Winter Soldier days, awakened recently by an unknown ex-KGB agent, who turns out to be Ivan Kragoff, the Red Ghost and former prime minister of Latveria Lucia von Bardas.[48] Powers and abilities Having trained under Steve Rogers, the original Captain America in World War II, and others in the time leading up to World War II, "Bucky" Barnes is a master of hand-to-hand combat and martial arts, as well as being skilled in the use of military weapons such as firearms and grenades. He also used throwing knives on occasion and was a gifted advance scout. His time as the covert Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier helped to further hone his skills, making him the equal to his predecessor in combat skills and an expert assassin and spy. He is also fluent in many languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Russian, and Japanese.[volume & issue needed] He can understand French.[49] Barnes' left arm is a cybernetic prosthetic with superhuman strength and enhanced reaction time. The arm can function when not in contact with Barnes and can discharge bolts of electrical energy from its palm. The arm can discharge an EMP causing electronics to either shutdown or become useless. The use of Barnes' EMP is shown when Barnes uses it to shutdown a Nick Fury LMD and when he attempts to use it on Iron Man. The arm has a holographic function to disguise it as a flesh and blood arm. As Captain America, Barnes possesses the original, indestructible, vibranium alloy shield used by his predecessor, as well as a Kevlar/Nomex blend, shock-absorbing costume. He often carries several conventional weapons such as knives, guns - mostly a Colt 1911-A1 .45 and a P08 Luger[citation needed] - and grenades. Role in Ultima Category:Protagonists Category:Avengers Category:Society Category:Neutral Category:Redemption Squad Category:HYDRA